


A Test of Heart

by PhoenixDowner



Series: Zine Fics [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Gen Work, Kairi Zine, Kairi's Mark of Mastery, Mark of Mastery (Kingdom Hearts), POV Kairi (Kingdom Hearts), Post-Canon, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Post-Kingdom Hearts III - Re Mind DLC, Step Forward: A Kairi Fanzine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixDowner/pseuds/PhoenixDowner
Summary: The day of Kairi's Mark of Mastery has arrived, and she'll have to face her past and examine what's in her heart in order to move forward. Written for Step Forward: A Kairi Fanzine.
Relationships: Aqua & Kairi (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Riku & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Zine Fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1675531
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	A Test of Heart

Kairi took a deep breath. Colorful light danced along the floor from the stained glass windows, and the scale of the grand throne room she was in right now fully hit her. Countless Keyblade wielders had been here before her, and countless Keyblade wielders would come after her. Her fingers fluttered to her neck and the necklace that even now continued to protect her. That was the proud legacy she was a part of. Much like Aqua had protected her, she would protect the light and people’s hearts, too.

The day had finally arrived for her to prove herself worthy. She pulled herself to her full height as she looked Aqua straight in the eye. 

“Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery,” Aqua said, looking very proud as she gazed down at Kairi. Behind her, sitting on two of the three thrones as special guests, were Kairi’s closest friends in all the worlds. Sora and Riku were here to support her, happy that at last she had the chance to join their ranks as a fellow Keyblade Master.

She allowed herself a slight smile as she glanced first at Riku and then at Sora. They were both smiling, and Riku nodded briefly as Sora mouthed, “You got this!” 

Her heart swelling with courage and her nerves easing a little, she turned her attention back to Aqua.

“This is not a test of battle prowess or even of will,” Aqua continued, “but a test of heart. Kairi, are you ready?”

“Yes, I am.”

Aqua smiled and summoned her Keyblade. “Then let the examination begin.”

Pointing her Keyblade above Kairi’s head, Aqua opened up a portal to another realm. Kairi peered up at it, trying to make out what it might be. Golden light shone through it, but other than that, she couldn’t see much else. 

“Take nothing with you but what’s in your heart,” Aqua instructed. “This place may seem familiar, but it isn’t like anywhere else you’ve ever been.”

Kairi tilted her head. “What’s it like, then?”

“That all depends on what’s in your heart. Best of luck, Kairi.”

Kairi took another deep breath and hit the pauldron on her left shoulder. Moments later, her Keyblade armor covered her body and her Keyblade transformed into a glider. She swooped into the air, and with one last glance at Sora and Riku, went through the portal. 

As she emerged on the other side, it took her a few moments to figure out where she was. But the pink sky streaked with purple and the sound of water tumbling in the distance clued her in soon enough, as did all the beautiful flower beds filled with asters and sunflowers and roses and lilies. She disembarked from the glider and switched her Keyblade armor off.

Radiant Garden. Her world of origin if not her current home. Little specks of light drifted through the air and fell to the ground like shooting stars, and she tried to catch a piece of one of them in her hand. It danced in her palm as she stared at it, mesmerized. 

“Kairi,” a voice called, and she turned around.

“Aqua?” 

This wasn’t the Aqua she had just left behind; no, this was an Aqua from her past, from the time when they had first met. Kairi didn’t remember the moment clearly, at least not consciously, but perhaps her heart remembered things her mind had forgotten.

“Tell me, Kairi, what is it you are so afraid of?” Aqua asked, her expression serene.

“What is it… I’m afraid of?” Kairi repeated. Her hand fluttered to her necklace as she considered Aqua’s question. There were a lot of things she supposed she should be afraid of. Death—except she had already faced her own mortality. She’d been kidnapped several times, too, and in years past she’d feared being weak and useless. But her strongest fear of all was something else entirely. 

“Losing the people who are precious to me,” she told Aqua. 

Aqua paced back and forth on the cobblestone path. “Your honesty is admirable, Kairi, but don’t you see how that might impact your ability to be a good Keyblade Master? Fear of loss can lead you to be reckless and to hold too tightly to the past.”

“I suppose,” Kairi said, “but what’s the alternative? To not care at all? I can’t help the scars that are inside my heart, but I can choose what I do about them. Considering my past, I think I’ll always be afraid of losing the people I care about. But I won’t let that fear control me, I promise.”

Aqua smiled. “Very well spoken. The next part of your test awaits you.”

Before Kairi could ask what that meant, the scene around her faded away. New sights and sounds replaced the ones on Radiant Garden—the waves crashing upon the shore, the sun shining bright overhead, cicadas buzzing in the trees, the smell of paopu fruit and coconuts carried by the breeze.

As the scene around her materialized, she found herself sitting on the paopu tree next to Riku, just like how the two of them always used to sit here with Sora, watching the sun set. When she tilted her head to greet him, he gave her one of his classic half-smiles. This was the Riku from her youth, the Riku she’d known shortly after he’d become a Keyblade Master. 

“Kairi, what is the one thing you care about more than anything else?”

“Long walks on the beach, thalassa shell crafts, writing in my diary, sea-salt ice cream…” She grinned at Riku’s expression. “Kidding, silly! I know this is a serious question. Gimme a second to think about it.” 

What  _ did  _ she care about more than anything else? Her friends, of course, but more specifically than that… 

“Being with the people who are dear to my heart.” 

It wasn’t enough to say that they mattered. Of course they did, they meant everything to her, but she’d gone for too long without them to be able to bear any more long separations. 

“And if you can’t be with them?” Riku asked, his voice serious and his eyes a little sad. “If your duties as a Keyblade Master take you away from them?”

“I know, realistically, that I won’t get to spend every day with the people I love. That’s just not how life works. But I won’t accept being left behind anymore.”

“Is that what becoming a Keyblade Master means to you? No longer being left behind?”

Kairi sighed. Riku had her, and she knew it. 

“Partly. I’d be lying if I denied it. But there’s so much more to it than that. I want to protect the people who can’t protect themselves. I want to help heal the damage the darkness has caused.” 

Riku smiled, a full smile this time, and her heart filled with warmth, knowing what that smile meant. He was proud of her, and his approval meant the worlds to her. 

“It’s okay, Kairi,” he said. “No one’s motives for being a Keyblade Master are completely perfect. Not Aqua’s, not mine, not even Sora’s. What matters is the heart behind them.” 

“And my heart?” Kairi asked.

“You’ll see. The next part of your test is up ahead.”

Soon, Destiny Islands faded away, much like Radiant Garden had before it. As it did, a strong breeze picked up and blew through her hair. It lifted her off of her feet till she was flying through the air, and when it set her down again, the water rippling beneath her was a perfect mirror of the sky above. 

“The Final World?” she murmured, remembering the last time she’d been here. She’d already seen Aqua and Riku, and that meant—

“Kairi,” came Sora’s voice from behind her. She turned around, and he looked the same as he did now, perhaps to represent this part of her life. He smiled, and that was enough to ease her nerves.

Aqua, Riku, Sora—they were all rooting for her. They wanted her to succeed. She had to keep that in mind, even when they were testing her. 

“What do you wish?” he asked.

“What do I wish?” she repeated. “Like in general? Or if I become a Keyblade Master?”

He shrugged. “The question is whatever you make of it. It’s meant to reveal what’s inside your heart.”

She had to prove she was a good candidate for the Mark of Mastery. She chose her next words carefully. 

“Then… I suppose… I want to protect my friends. I want to protect the light. I want to use my powers to help people.” 

“Those are all good things, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not your heart’s deepest desire,” Sora said softly. “Let me ask you one more time: what do you wish?”

Her throat went dry and her palms were sweaty. Her heart’s deepest desire? How was she supposed to answer that? The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but actually voicing it was another thing entirely. 

“I want to be loved,” she said at last, her voice small. “I want to feel important.”

She felt Sora’s hand on her shoulder, and she dared to look into his eyes. 

“Don’t we all?” he said, his smile gentle and his eyes warm. “Trust me, Kairi, you are loved. You have the support of Riku and Aqua and the rest of our friends. And you know how much you mean to me, too. We’ve all got your back.” 

“I know,” she said, returning his smile. “It’s just scary to be vulnerable sometimes.”

“Of course it is,” he said. “But by proving you can be, you’re showing your heart’s true strength.”

“Strength through vulnerability, huh?” She gave him a teasing nudge. “Sounds like someone else I know.” 

He laughed at that. “Hey, it’s part of my job as a Keyblade Master now. I’m supposed to pass on what I’ve learned to other people.” 

“And what wisdom do you have to pass on to me, Master Sora?”

His expression grew serious. “My role in your Mark of Mastery is done, actually. I don’t know what else is ahead of you. But know this: you’re not alone,” he said, pointing at her heart. “I’m always with you, and our friends are always with you too. You’ve always been strong, and with our support, you’re that much stronger. Keep going till you reach the end. We’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. She was getting near to the end of her Mark, she had to be. 

When Sora was gone, she expected this realm to fade away, too. But instead of the scenery around her changing, the sky darkened and the water grew choppy. 

“What’s going on?” she cried as she summoned her Keyblade. “What’s happening?”

A low chuckle sounded out behind her, and she whirled around to face the source of the noise. 

“Xehanort?”

Sure enough, the creepy old man was there, smiling cruelly at her as the wind picked up around them. Her heart sped up, her throat went dry, and her fingers felt numb as her fear and panic took over. 

Her reaction just seemed to amuse him. “After all this time, you are still weak, little princess.” 

His words snapped some sense back into her. Clutching her Keyblade tighter to steady her shaking fingers, she said, “No, I’m not weak, I’m strong! I’ll prove it!” 

The wind howled and rain began to fall as she prepared herself for battle. She’d fought Xehanort before, but she’d had Sora backing her up. Now she was all alone. She had to face him herself. This was the final test, the only thing left between her and the title of Keyblade Master. She had to face her fears from that day, deal with the trauma of seeing the man who was responsible for splitting her heart into pieces, the man who was responsible for Sora’s disappearance and everyone’s suffering—

No, wait. That couldn’t be right. That was what Xehanort wanted her to think—that she was alone and had to face him alone. But it wasn’t true. She wasn’t alone. Sora was with her. Aqua and Riku were with her too. So were the rest of her friends—Naminé, Terra and Ven, Roxas, Axel, and Xion. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, too. With them, she was strong. 

Resting her hand over her heart, she called to the light deep within it. “My friends, I need your help!”

The light from her heart began to glow as she felt the strength from her friends flow through her. Allowing herself a brief smile, she thanked them and pointed her Keyblade at Xehanort.

“You don’t have any power over me anymore,” she said as light gathered at the tip of her Keyblade. “Now leave me alone!” 

A great blast erupted from her Keyblade and hit Xehanort full force. He shielded his face from the light, but he was no match for it. Her strength of heart proved true, and after a few moments of the continuous onslaught, he began to disappear. The waves stilled, the rain stopped, and the sky cleared. Xehanort kept fading away, and the last thing she saw of him was his smirk.

“Perhaps you are not so weak after all,” were his final words, and then he was gone. 

She let out a deep sigh of relief and let her Keyblade disappear. Something tugged at her heart, and the scenery around her began to fade. In its place the Realm of Light appeared, little by little. Before she knew it, she was back in the throne room of the Land of Departure, and Sora, Riku, and Aqua were there waiting for her.

“Kairi!” Sora and Riku cried. Sora enveloped her in a warm hug, and Riku put his arms around them both and awkwardly patted their shoulders. She pulled them both closer and hugged them tightly, glad to be back where she belonged. 

“Are you okay?” Sora asked as he leaned back, his brow furrowed.

“We sensed you were up against Xehanort,” Riku said, and his voice was strained as he searched her face.

“I’m fine,” she said softly. “Thanks to everyone’s help, I was able to face him. Well, whatever version of him lurks in my memories.” 

Sora and Riku both relaxed, and she smiled and nodded. “Thank you both, for everything,” she said, and she knew they understood. Understood that she was thanking them not only for today, but for all the times they’d supported her over the years. 

The three of them turned to face Aqua, who was beaming down at them. 

“Kairi,” she said, her lips twitching despite her best attempts to be serious. 

“Yes, Master?”

Kairi fiddled with her necklace as Aqua drug out the tension for as long as possible. 

“You performed admirably,” Aqua said at last, “showing true strength of heart in the light of challenges from your friends as well as an old enemy.” She allowed herself a radiant smile, and Kairi bit her lip as she tried to hold back a smile of her own. “You have shown the Mark of Mastery, and I declare you our newest Keyblade Master.” 

Kairi’s heart swelled. She hardly heard Aqua’s instructions afterwards; Sora and Riku were cheering too loudly, and she was far too excited herself.

“I did it! I really did it!” she cried as she jumped up and down. It was still sinking in, but the happy expressions on her friends’ faces told her this was real. 

“Congratulations, Master Kairi!” Sora crowed, and Riku grinned and ruffled her hair. 

It had been a long time coming, but at last she had joined them as a fellow Keyblade Master. She would work hard to improve peoples’ lives and do everything she could to protect the worlds. It was both her duty and her privilege as a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade Master, and she was determined to make the most of every opportunity.

Whatever the future had in store, she was ready to face it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the mods and other participants of the Kairi Zine for making it such a wonderful experience! And thank you for reading!


End file.
